Poet Soldiers
Poems written and read by members of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Cadet Force for and at an HIV/AIDS candlelight memorial
Are You My Friend?
Ten years we walk together,
Ten years you been me friend,
But five years ago, ah never tell you wha did happened then.
You remember Gina?
Yes Gina, de African goddess sent?
Well she and me got together,
And you could imagine how that went.
A few weeks later she give me a call,
And ah tell yo boy, ah nearly bawl.
She said she had de thing - de AIDS yo know,
But ah couldn't believe that that been so.
Ah check me doctor.
And ah tek de test,
Fo days and days, man, ah couldn't rest.
De test came back,
And de worst was true,
De girl been ha de thing
And I got it to.
Five years now it ah burden, burden me chest,
Ah ha to tell somebody,
And ah think you de best.
So tell me now what you gwine do,
Yo gwine walk way from me?
Or could I count on you?
- Darrien Ollivierre, Lieutenant
Discrimination
Only hate, scorn and glaring eyes
Am I a monster?
All I want is love,
Someone to appreciate,
Demonstrate and don't hesitate
To give me what all human beings deserve, LOVE.
Every night I pray
That the Almighty God
Would lead me not to stray.
I do the same as everyone...
Eat, laugh, work and play,
But why am I not looked at in the same way.
I try to tell them it's not my fault,
But what do they care,
All they do is just hate, scorn and discriminate.
Open your eyes people, I am just like you
Two legs, arms, eyes and ears.
But why can't I strive, tell me why can't I?
It's not my fault I still try to say,
but what do they care,
They just, hate, scorn and discriminate.
- Julonna Peterson, Lance/Corporal
A Poem on HIV/AIDS
A long time ago, 1992 yo could say,
Yo could ah neva hear a thing like AIDS going around here.
But now you think is so, AIDS flying round like mosquito.
They say it began in Africa,
But it really started from men and women all over.
A lady on the TV the other night say she ha the cure,
Could she be serious?
This lady must be think AIDS is trush!
Anyway, all I could say is,
AIDS like it nah gwine way.
So I'm begging all young ladies who just coming up,
Mind what you doing or your life would be corrupt.
No, I did not forget the young men them,
They too need to help us with this problem.
- Nassine Richards, Private
STOP HIV/AIDS
Who me? NO way, I could never get AIDS
I am sure that's what many people say
But am here to tell you today
That kind of thinking will get you no way
You better change that perception I say
AIDS does not discriminate
It knows no color, gender, class nor race
You could be rich, poor, even displaced
Homosexual, bisexual and even heterosexual are all at risk
Just one moment of folly
Before you know you are an AIDS case
Our teenagers are AIDS favorite age.
Our young adults, its popular friend too.
And just imagine even married folks give it to their spouses.
The unborn, innocent child can get it from their mother
And to make matter worse they may grow up as orphans
But do you know what is worst?
Our society scorns and discriminate those with HIV/AIDS
Believe me that is no help, it only makes the conditions worsen
They need to know they have our support
They need to be loved and cared for too
So they can help to spread the message to me and you.
The facts are alarming, million of men,
Women and children have already died
And many more millions are living with the virus
And can you imagine, the Caribbean, our little slice of paradise
Is marred with HIV/AIDS
But guess what all is not lost, it is not doom and gloom
AIDS is fatal but it can be prevented
As old people say "An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure"
Educate yourselves and those around you,
Abstain, practice safe sex, and do what you must do
And if you think you contracted HIV, get tested
Find out the facts, and act on them
And let us reclaim our lives from this deadly virus.
-Idelia Ferdinand, Captain
The poetry portrays the effort and concern and what the end result means individually. Thank you.
— Laura Hamilton-Gordon RN on 2009-07-31
Thank you.
— Laura Hamilton-Gordon, RN on 2009-08-11
These were great poems, thank you for sharing!
— MS on 2009-08-18